According to a study published by Qualtircs.com, more than 90 percent of online shoppers read a product review before they make a purchase.
A business that wishes to strengthen its standing and drive sales should invest more in customer reviews. It is also worth pointing out that customer reviews also work as a means to improve the relationships between the brand and its customers.
Why Customer Reviews Are Valuable
Let's take a more detailed look into how customer feedback benefits businesses and how you can encourage shoppers to be more active in leaving their reviews.
An Open Line to Customers
This might not seem that obvious, but customer reviews give businesses an opportunity to open a two-way communication channel.
In addition to submitting feedback and sharing thoughts with other potentially interested consumers, original review writers are bound to react if the brand itself responds to a review.
For example, if the feedback is positive, the business can write a short "thank you" message. On the other hand, if a customer is unhappy with the purchase and expresses their concerns, why not express the concerns and show that a business cares?
Depending on the number of reviews, responding to everyone might require a lot of resources. Nevertheless, considering how effective personalized and friendly responses are, dedicating some resources is worthwhile.
More Sales
A study by the Harvard Business School is one of many examples to confirm how positive feedback improves sales.
Naturally, an interested shopper who pays attention to reviews will look to justify their decision to spend money on goods and services. Reading prior shopper feedback is a logical step, and if the overall response is positive, the odds of a shopper completing their transaction increase significantly.
Decision Making
Imagine yourself in a situation where you cannot decide where to order food from or where to go out for dinner. You are tired of the same stuff and wish to try something new. What is the first thing you look for if you do not have anyone around to give you their opinion? That's right, the Internet.
Googling local food places leads you to reviews on Google, Yelp, and so on. Are you going to consider a place with poor reviews? Unlikely, unless you are feeling adventurous.
Businesses that incorporate a system to get steady reviews to build a large feedback base to provide a reference to new customers. The next time someone has a shopping decision to make and goes online to check for reviews, they will focus on brands that show up with a decent amount of positive feedback.
Trustworthiness
If a business uses a five-star rating in its reviews, it should aim to cross the four-star rating threshold for its products or services.
Bright Local carried out a survey on how consumers react to different ratings and found that four stars or less affect conversions negatively by a significant margin.
Human psychology works in an interesting way. Even though the margin between 3.9 and 4.1 stars is not that big, it still impacts decision-making among consumers.
How to Generate More Customer Reviews
Send Follow-Ups
A pop-up asking for a review right after the transaction is completed does not make sense. You need a shopper to first receive and try the goods or services. The problem is that the shopper might forget to leave a review.
Sending follow-ups via email is a solid strategy. A few days after the delivery, a follow-up email asking about the shopping experience and how the customer feels about the goods or services should work as a reminder.
Offer Perks
A perk system for customers who leave reviews is another popular method. Writing a detailed review is bothersome for many, but shoppers who can get something in return for their effort are more inclined to agree.
A discount coupon or a voucher for free shipping on the next order in exchange for a detailed review sounds like a nice offer. In addition to getting a review, a business also hooks the shopper to purchase again and use up the discount or voucher they got from writing a review.
Automate the Process
Not every form of valuable feedback has to be a long and detailed review. Businesses can automate the process by creating surveys. Instead of having customers spend time figuring out how they should approach writing a review, offer them the option to fill out a quick survey and submit feedback.
For example, suppose a business is educating people on tech products. In that case, it can focus on questions around user experience, interface, features, compatibility, bugs, or ask what their favorite tech tools are.
A more streamlined feedback collection approach makes it easier for customers, and it ought to generate more reviews.
Create Contests
Contests are another method to try. Selecting the best review of the week or month and rewarding the winner with a prize should not be too difficult. If social media contests are anything to go by, they clearly prove that online consumers love to engage with something if they have a chance to win prizes.
Conclusion
Having said all that, while customer reviews have plenty of benefits, you still need to remember the fact that it is not about getting a sheer volume of customer feedback.
Avoiding negative customer feedback is just if not more important than trying to get as many reviews as possible. By ensuring the quality of your goods or services, a business can take advantage of positive feedback and thrive.
Sources:
Online Review Statistics to Know in 2022 - Qualtrics. https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/online-review-stats/